DaisyGoldberg

We've stayed a few times at Hilton Garden Inn in Ridgefield - they had a stay and cruise rate which included an overnight the night before the cruise, parking for the week (and once we went 10 days, no extra fee), plus limo transport both ways.  Pretty reasonable (250-300?), but it's been a few years. Might be worth a call.  Easy to get to, right off the highway, quick work getting to the pier in the morning. On the return trip you call the number on the limo business card they give you and the driver tells you where he is on the street.  They drop you right at your car and you're on the GWB in minutes.

It's located in an industrial park so it's not really a neighborhood to explore/dine once you're there. There is a movie theatre up the road. I'd pick up dinner on the way in depending when you arrive. They had a surprisingly good free breakfast - an actual hot breakfast!

On 3/22/2022 at 1:31 PM, njhorseman said:

For all intents and purposes that last day just a mirage . Look closely...the ship departs at 7 am. All you're getting is an extra couple of hours on the next to last day and an overnight in port.

You used to arrive on Sunday mid day (when many things are closed) and have to be on the ship by 2 on Tuesday, so only the bravest souls would plan anything far from the boat after noon. Now you have both Monday and Tuesday completely available all day and evening long to explore the entire island. A good change for us, though I do miss the extra sea time.

When I was in the Breakaway Haven there was this one family with little screaming kids. But only when they were with their father. When with their mom/grandma you wouldn't notice they were there. I even found out a few days in that I was in the cabin NEXT to them, and while we both had our balcony doors open much of the time I couldn't hear a peep on my balcony. And in the dining room they were perfectly well behaved.

I'm convinced that when the mom and grandma took some time for themselves that was Dad's cue to tell them to run laps around the upper Haven or show off their swimming skills in the pool.

The Haven wasn't full that trip so I suppose the staff didn't feel up to saying anything, but unfortunately my lounging/reading time seemed to correspond with their play time. 

3 hours ago, jezabel80 said:

Thank you for your review.  It gave a a good insight  on what to expect in the Haven.  Do all Haven  rooms have tubs,  not walk in showers?  Did you find the tub hard to get in and out of?  

I had a similar Haven suite on Breakaway and know there's no way my elderly mom could have showered safely. The tub was not only deep, but curved in such a way you needed to lift your foot practically to the height of your other knee then step waaaay in... With nothing to hold onto but that flimsy glass door. 

The tub in this photo at least seems to have vertical sides, but how they don't grasp the need for a handle (or a convenient counter not impeded by the sliding door) escapes me.

A second bedroom and full bathroom can be important depending on how many are traveling together/privacy needs. The first cabin is basically a giant bedroom with a bath and a large balcony.

The second cabin has a central living room where you can eat, socialize, gather outside of the bedroom. The second bedroom is tiny but fine for children or a single adult. 

Note: the first cabin has a bathtub so you need to step over the edge to get in to shower. I found this rather difficult on the breakaway in rough weather as there isn't much to hold onto except glass doors.

The second cabin has a walk in shower in both bathrooms and I believe a jacuzzi tub as well in the primary. 

We like separate living spaces for breathing room, and I'm not keen on socializing in my bedroom 😉

Sounds like a good plan, but keep in mind departure times can change. On my Breakaway sailing we didn't end up leaving until 8 pm for some reason. 

I always mean to shop around for outside insurance, then shrug and get the NCL.

I will say that we needed to use it once and it went very smoothly.

My mom was going on a cruise with her friend and a week out from the cruise my sister suddenly required emergency surgery, as well as someone to care for her for several weeks at home. My mom was the logical person to do this. We were concerned that since SHE wasn't the sick one the insurance would have a loophole, but they were very good about it - we had to provide my sister's medical paperwork as proof, but I would say the entire amounts were refunded within a month.  And they refunded her friend's share of the cruise as well! (She decided to cancel rather than go alone.) 

So we feel that we were well treated and the process was very straightforward and conducted entirely through email in a few exchanges. She had the platinum coverage, which may differ from other levels, of course.

Editing is screwed up for some reason, so I'll append my post separately

If you're taking the NCL shuttle, no porter needed, as I assume they will be handling the luggage and escorting you directly.

That does sound like the most stress free way to really enjoy the cruise without the last day looming over it. 

Please don't be afraid, and certainly don't let the stress of the last day cast a shadow over the cruise itself.  I'd recommend flying home that day so as to decrease your stress level over logistics. That way you just have to think about getting off the ship and into a cab or the shuttle to the airport, knowing you'll be home for dinner.

What I CAN recommend after disembarking is to grab a porter. You will leave the ship and step into a massive room where all the luggage is waiting. Once you've found your luggage, grab a porter, and he will escort you to customs in a way that bypasses a long line (though the Dawn line will not equal the Breakaway line, time saved is time saved).  He'll wait for you on the other side. He will then ask where you're going and walk with you, transporting your bags directly to that spot. (It's a rather long walk to the street, as I recall). Tip well - this step will have saved you a half hour, at least and the porter will know precisely where the shuttle or cab stand is, so you needn't fear struggling to find it. Chances are he will also be accompanying others and you can all walk together out to the street.

Le Bistro looks amazing - will probably do more than once, and Cagneys looks much improved, but all three Haven meal menus are worse for me than what they had before. (My mom will appreciate the lobster so I will still accompany her.)

On 5/14/2021 at 8:57 PM, kristi195 said:

Thank you for sharing.. So interesting.. I also wonder why in the recesses of my memory (I have raised show dogs for many past decades) I remember giving my dogs corona vaccinations if this is such a new thing, as many anti-vaxxers purport. 

You remember correctly - kennel cough is a corona virus. So is the common cold in humans. We haven't cracked a vaccine for the common cold yet, and not sure that it would be economically worthwhile even with this new technology. 

37 minutes ago, azcruise said:

Is there a hair dryer in the smaller room?

Yes. Depending on the cabin, the bed can be really low to the ground, so if you are a person with mobility issues it can be challenging. Otherwise it's a great room, lots of closet space and dark as anything with the lights out!

For me personally it's more worth it the larger the ship. The havens on smaller ships that don't have an in-Haven restaurant are pleasant, but I can certainly do without. Traveling with an elderly parent, they work for us, though, for more personal service and an extension of quiet space from just the cabin.

The newer, larger ships have nicer Havens. I've only been on the Breakaway so far, and no way would I sail that ship without being in the Haven.  With the public areas taken up with all the game shows and activities that happen in the show rooms on smaller ships, it just seemed like people people everywhere, and all traffic converged in the elevator banks, especially for shows and getting on/off ship. 

In contrast, the Haven had dozens of loungers to kick back and relax if I needed to leave my cabin for the steward but didn't feel like being out in the hustle/bustle. I don't drink but the bar seemed lively. The private restaurant was right there and enjoyed what I had there (but mostly ate elsewhere).

The biggest reason for me was the expansive area outside the craziness of the rest of the ship, the continuous presence of a concierge desk you passed coming in and out which made asking questions casually a breeze as opposed to having to search them out, the escort to shows, and most valuable of all on that ship, the private room  to await disembarking in ports. Cutting through the elevator bottleneck of people who had already been standing waiting for who knows how long, and stepping into a darkened theatre with drinks and snacks and comfy seats was amazing. 

And on the last day you can just relax in the Haven lounge and be escorted down in groups in the private elevator directly to security check out. 

The expedited on/off ship aspect was light years more valuable on the Breakaway than on the Dawn/Gem, etc. 

I'm one of those who loves sea days and even spending minimal time off ship at islands I've visited before. However, as others have pointed out, Hawaii is a cruise that is custom built for not spending much time on board at all, even for those of us who normally do! 

It certainly has been the sleepiest cruise I ever took in terms of evening activities. Most people seemed to want to be up and off on their excursions the moment we docked so few were up and about long after dinner.

I think you're making a good choice.

Destination ports are setting their own rules, and it appears that the Caribbean islands that Celebrity is sailing to in June have settled on proof of vaccination of all passengers and crew, as well as a negative PCR test 72 hours before boarding. 

I suppose a line could do a cruise to a private island/nowhere if US ports make no similar demands, but so long as negative tests are required to re-enter the US by air, I don't see that they'd let you visit multiple islands by cruise and not need to test to return. And I don't know how a ship would want to take on that volume of testing on board. 

I've done both the regular suite and "Haven" suite on the Gem. The only additional perk in the Haven is access to the common area. In our case, traveling with my mom who uses a walker, it gave her a place to leave the room (especially unaccompanied), grab a lounger and be out of the rat race on the public decks. They also had a breakfast and lunch menu served at the handful of tables, and some snacks and juice/coffee/lemonade there to help yourself to during the day.  There are staff to take drink orders, etc but that seemed kind of intermittent (maybe because we were the only ones there).

It really can't compare to a Haven on a larger ship with its own bar and restaurant. But if your goal is peace and quiet to read or nap in an area outside your own cabin, it does the trick. And when they open the roof for a light breeze it's really quite pleasant.  

So I'd say a regular suite gives you all the perks except that private area outside of your actual room. How much that matters to you will drive whether it's "worth it."

I've been in that very cabin (as well as its counterpart on the other side!) and loved it.  Close to the action and yet a very quiet part of the ship. Haven penthouses I've stayed in are half the size.  We did two weeks on a cold weather back to back (Canada) and didn't miss the balcony -- the views were spectacular from the floor to ceiling windows and of course the "outside" was steps away -- on the 12th floor and up the stairs to the 13th.  But we also did Bermuda in that kind of suite and that was great, too!

The Murphy bed is surprisingly comfortable! (You may not use it, but if you have to, do not fear).  Far nicer than the beds in the second bedroom of 2 bedroom penthouses.

I did it a couple of years ago. Well worth it, especially if it still includes time in St. George.

The SJ gives you some amazing scenery uninterrupted by a balcony. And the Murphy bed is amazingly comfortable!

I'd get there sooner rather than later. Arrived at 10:30 for my Breakaway cruise. Got on board and into the Haven courtyard by 11:20 at which point some high ranking officer surrounded by other officers was wrapping up a talk to the assembled guests that I completely missed. Mind you, the cabins weren't ready so we had to wait another hour in the courtyard, but they brought dishes of sliders and fries and fruit punch.

We will be cruising out of NYC next month and while I've done so before, I haven't done it with a person in a wheelchair.  I don't anticipate a problem with drop off (and she can walk short distances), but will be juggling a suitcase, 2 carry ons, a walker, and the wheelchair, which given my memories of exiting the terminal and crossing 12th ave could prove challenging.  I know we can utilize a porter, and I recall seeing some porters actually taking luggage across the street for people, but I'm not sure we can count on that to our pickup point. 

If there a special lane for handicapped pick ups where our car service could get us? Thanks for any answers/suggestions!

I'll put it this way... I successfully stayed on my diet on my June cruise because I was confident that nothing that would ordinarily tempt me was really worth the calories, and if I wanted to cheat, I should wait and do it at home with better options.   

Haven't had service issues, just a ratcheting down of overall quality of the food. In the past few years we reached the realization that if the on-board restaurants were located at home,  we wouldn't be repeat customers.  Surprisingly, it's kind of made cruising more fun, because with the disparity between specialty and regular dining room quality decreasing, we stopped caring about reservations and timing and it freed up a lot of mental energy. 

The Dawn is great! Have stayed in several of their suites. Assuming the kids aren't going to be sharing a bed, you should look at the sj suites with the Murphy bed and sofa bed. Or swing the 2 bedroom if you can. Being in a suite will get you priority boarding and disembarkation, tendering, afternoon hors d'oeuvres and lunch and breakfast in a private dining room.  The mini suite gets you a tub and a few more square feet.

You will definitely want a jacket for the whale watch no matter what the temp is in Boston. Even in August it's quite chilly out on Stellwagen (where the whales are) - expect 50s and 60s.  And never fear if it's raining - whales sometimes play in the rain, breaching, etc. Best sights I ever saw were on a dreary, drizzly day. Captain said we were in luck and he was right!

Just want to assure you that when we had to cancel a cruise a week out (NCL insurance) it was all handled very smoothly.  The insurance company will send an email with the documentation they need.  

We canceled because my sister (who wasn't one of the travelers under the insurance) developed a serious medical condition and could only be released from the hospital to bed rest under the care of somebody else (chiefly, my mother, who was going on the cruise).  We had to provide a note from the doctor as well as a release of her medical records (I gather so they could verify), but I don't know that anybody ever did.  Should be much more straightforward with you as the patient AND passenger., as you can provide your own records.

Everything was settled within a couple of weeks - it truly was pretty painless.  NCL refunded everything that they charged directly (except the cost of the insurance).  Insurance then refunded the rest.

Hope you feel better and can relax a bit.